Cecropia distachya Huber

  • Authority

    Berg, Cornelius C. & Franco Rosselli, Pilar. 2005. Cecropia. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 94: 1--230. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Urticaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Cecropia distachya Huber

  • Type

    Type. Brazil. Para: Santa Izabel, Oct 1906 (9), Goeldi MG 7728 (holotype: MG; isotypes: BM, G, L, P, S, U).

  • Synonyms

    Cecropia riparia Warb. ex Snethl., Cecropia richardii Cuatrec.

  • Description

    Species Description - Tree, to 30 m tall. Leafy twigs 1.5-6 cm thick, dark green to red-brown to blackish, hispidulous to puberulous to subhirtellous, partly with uncinate hairs. Lamina (sub)coriaceous, ca. 20 × 20 cm to 85 × 85 cm, the segments (5-)7-10(-12), the free parts of upper segments obovate to subobovate, the incisions down to 6/10-9/10; apices acute to acuminate or to rounded; upper surface smooth (to scabridulous), puberulous (to hispidulous), initially often also sparse with arachnoid indumentum; lower surface (minutely) puberulous (with uncinate hairs) on the (main) veins, sometimes also with sparse longer uncinate hairs, with arachnoid indumentum in the areoles, sometimes sparse (to nearly absent), sometimes (initially) also on the main veins; lateral veins in the free part of the midsegment 12-18(-25) pairs, usually marginally or sometimes submarginally loop-connected, most (or some) of them branched; petiole 15-60 cm long, sparsely puberulous, sometimes (initially) also with arachnoid indumentum, or subglabrous; trichilia fused, the brown indumentum intermixed with short white (to brownish unicellular) hairs; stipules (6-) 1025 cm long, dark red-brown to brown or to bright red, densely to sparsely puberulous or also with arachnoid indumentum outside, sparsely hairy to subglabrous inside. Staminate inflorescences in pairs, the peduncle erect (or slightly deflexed), the spikes erect to ± spreading (or to pendulous); peduncle 2-12(-15) cm long, often at the apex ± strongly broadened, sparsely hispidulous to hirtellous; spathe (7-)10-18 cm long, dark red-brown to red, densely to sparsely puberulous to hirtellous or also with sparse to rather dense arachnoid indumentum outside, glabrous inside; spikes (8-) 15-25(-50), (0.5-)6-14 × 0.3-0.4 or 0.5-1 cm, ± angular, (sometimes green just before anthesis), the stipes 0.3-1.5 cm long, puberulous, sometimes only with brown pluricellular hairs, or glabrous; rachis hairy or glabrous. Staminate flowers: perianth tubular, ca. 1-1.5 mm long, with sparse straight hairs and/or sparse to rather dense arachnoid indumentum below the apex, the apex slightly convex to plane, muriculate or (also) with sparse brown pluricellular hairs; filaments swollen; anthers 0.6-0.7 mm long, detached at anthesis (?). Pistillate inflorescences in pairs or solitary, erect or deflexed to pendulous in fruit; peduncle (2-)5-13 cm long, hispidulous to hirtellous; spathe dark red-brown to red, 6-15 cm long, densely to sparsely puberulous to hirtellous or also with arachnoid indumentum outside, glabrous inside; spikes 2-4, (3-)8-15 × 0.6-0.8 or ca. 2.5 cm, to 22 × 1.5(-2) cm or to 38 × 4 cm in fruit, sessile or with stipes to 0.5 cm long and subglabrous; rachis glabrous or sparsely hairy. Pistillate flowers: perianth ca. 1.5-3.5 mm long, with arachnoid indumentum below the apex, also in the lower part of style channel inside, the apex plane with (a rim around) a circular aperture or strongly convex with a slit-shaped aperture, muriculate to smooth; style long; stigma comose. Fruit ellipsoid to oblongoid, 2.5-4.5 mm long, tuberculate or smooth.

  • Discussion

    In Peru (Cuzco, Huánuco, Junín, and San Martín), the spikes of the pistillate inflorescences reach to 38 × 4 cm in fruit and the spikes of the staminate inflorescences are also thicker than usually found elsewhere. In other parts of the species’ range, the spikes are and remain much shorter. Two of these collections with large spikes match the material of Cecropia distachya in most features, but are clearly distinct in the shape of the lamina. Moreover, they have unusual arachnoid indumentum on the lamina above. They may represent a distinct type of C. distachya (described below) in which some (sub)juvenile traits are retained or they may represent a hybrid (with many maternal and few paternal features; see "Nature and Variation of Morphological Characters").

    Lamina coriaceous, incisions in the upper part down to ca. 5/10, the lower part slightly lobed; upper surface with sparse to rather dense arachnoid indumentum; lateral veins in the free part of the midsegment 9-12 pairs, marginally to submarginally loop-connected. Pistillate inflorescences with the peduncle 2-5.5 cm long, the upper part broadened in fruit; spathe ca. 8 cm long; spikes 2, 5-6 (or more?) × 1-1.3 cm, to 32 × 2 cm or to 35 × 3.5 cm in fruit. Pistillate flowers: perianth ca. 2.5 mm long. Fruit ob-longoid, 4-5 mm long.

    Description based on the following collections: PERU. Huánuco: Prov. Leoncio Prado, Dtto. Rupa Rupa, E of Tingo María, nr. Cerro Quemada, 7 Sep 1978 ([female] fr), Schunke V. 10579 (BG, US). Junín: Pichanaki, between Satipo and bridge over Río Chanchamayo, 900-1000 m, 28 Jun 1982 ([female] fl-fr), Gentry et al. 37251 (MO).

    Collections with features transitional to the more typical type occur, as with regard to the inflorescence (Berg et al. 1627) or the leaf shape (Morawetz et al. 11-11988).

    The spikes of the staminate inflorescences can be green before anthesis (as in Berg et al. 1597). In most specimens the apex of the perianth of the pistillate flower is plane with a rim around the round aperture and ± angular in circumference. In some collections (e.g., Bernardi 1612 and Liesner 3481) the apex of the perianth of the pistillate flower is (strongly) convex, circular in outline, and with a slit-shaped aperture. Some collections have up to 12 lamina segments and/or submarginally loop-connected lateral veins; these features can be related to the (sub)juvenile state.

  • Common Names

    júmekokaï, jucoqui, yarumo negro, yagrumo morado, kamá-in-yek, toroc, setico negro, shiari, imbauba vermelha

  • Distribution

    Throughout the Amazon basin, extending to eastern Venezuela, and to French Guiana; common in primary forest, also in secondary growth, in non-inundated (or inundated) places, at low elevations.

    Pará Brazil South America| Brazil South America|